Confession time! My skin isn't great. It's sensitive. It breaks out easily. I'm prone to allergic rashes. I've been known to easily get chemical burns from toxic beauty products. I have dry, eczema patches that pop up out of nowhere. You get the point, right?
I tried everything last year to heal my skin, and as warmer days began to approach in the spring I started to panic. Because I knew I couldn't hide behind long sleeves and leggings anymore. That's when a friend suggested dry skin brushing.
Dry skin brushing is an ancient beauty practice that uses a natural, stiff-bristled brush on the body to exfoliate the skin. This technique, when done properly, helps your body naturally eliminate toxins by opening your pores and promoting lymph drainage.
Now, I'm not a stranger to dry brushing. In fact, I've owned a dry brush for probably close to a decade. But, it wasn't something I did regularly. However desperate times call for desperate measures and I made a commitment to myself to dry brush every day for 21 straight days to see if I noticed a difference.
My results? After 21 days I had glowing, silky smooth skin without a single patch of irritation or redness. Seriously! Dry brushing was the only thing I changed in my routine, and it worked so well, that I had to share my results with you.
Benefits
Daily dry brushing has many benefits:
Helps to unclog pores
Promotes lymph flow and drainage
Exfoliates and detoxes your skin
Better absorption and efficacy of lotions and body oils
Encourages cell renewal
Removes dead skin cells, dirt, oil and residues
Increases circulation
Reduces appearance of cellulite
Stimulates the nervous system
Before and After Care
You always want to dry brush before your shower. As I mentioned earlier, this process encourages your body to eliminate toxins through the pores. So, you want to shower after dry brushing so you can wash away the toxins as well as the dead skin cells and dirt that are released from your body.
This is optional, but I like to add a few drops of essential oils to my dry brushing routine to enhance the benefits. Before brushing, I just drop or spray a few drops of oil directly onto the brush. These essential oils are best for dry brushing:
Grapefruit supports detoxification, cellulite, sagging skin and body blemishes. Emotionally, this oil helps you to accept and honor your body.
Use peppermint to bring joy and optimism to your heart and soul. This is a good one to use on days where you feel stiff or achy. Peppermint can also be used as a part of your dry brushing routine to increase circulation.
Known as the "poor man's rose", geranium is a beautiful skin healer that can support skin blemishes, scars, cellulite, and dry skin. The aroma of geranium encourages emotional healing and mending of a broken heart.
Rosemary is a sacred herb that is often used for energetic clearing and protection. It encourages the body to naturally detox against chemicals and heavy metals while supporting lymphatic drainage.
In addition to the oils above, I also like to alternate adding the Metabolic Blend and the Massage Blend to my dry brush. These are excellent blends that can take your dry brushing to the next level.
After you've dry brushed and showered, your body's pores will be clear and open. They are primed and ready to absorb your favorite body care products. So, be sure to lock in extra moisture with your favorite lotion or body oil. I personally love using this Hydrating Body Mist or a DIY body oil right after my shower.
Here's a few of my fave body oil recipes: Divine Protection Body Oil and Surrender Body Oil
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:
Step into the shower with a natural, stiff-bristled brush. Don't turn the water on yet.
Use small, firm strokes or circles. Start at the bottom of your body and always brush upwards, towards your heart. Never brush downwards.
First brush from ankles to knees, then from knees to thighs. You may use circular strokes around your ankle and knee joints.
Brush your stomach in clockwise, circular movements to stimulate digestion.
Use circular motions around your hips and buttocks while using upward strokes on your lower back.
Next brush wrists to elbows, then from elbows to shoulders. Again, you may use circular strokes on your wrists, shoulders and elbow joints.
Finally, brush downwards on your chest and upper back, towards the heart.
Immediately hop in the shower and clean as usual. Finish up with a body oil or lotion to lock in moisture.
When dry brushing you may want to pay extra attention to rough spots, areas of poor circulation, or cellulite. Also, if you have sensitive or damaged skin, you will simply want to decrease the pressure of your brush strokes so as not to further irritate your skin.
Finally, if you're more of a visual learner, than you'll find this video tutorial helpful.
With Love,
Kelsey
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